Dredg ing-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. H. TITCOMB.

DREDGING MACHINE. No. 516,066. Patented Mar. 6, 1894.

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G. H. TITGOMB. DREDGING MACHINEI No.516,066. Patented Mar. 6, 1894.

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UNITED Sra-rss GEORGE H. TITCOMB, OF

BOSTGN, MASSACHUSETTS.

DREDGlNG-MACHINE.

SPEGIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 516,066, dated March 6, 1894.

Application illed January 9, 1893. Serial No. 457,850' (No model-l To @Z5 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HTITGOMB, of Boston, in the county of Suollr and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dredging-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that calss of dredging machines in which a frame is pivotally connected to a iloating support or vessel, so that the outer end of the frame can rise and fall, the frame being provided with rotary cutters at its outer end, and with mechanism for impelling said cutters by power imparted from the vessel, the arrangement being such that the cutters detach and loosen material from the submerged surface to be excavated, so that a pipe or conduit on the frame, communicating with a pump on the vessel, is enabled to elevate the loosened matter with a current of Water supporting the saine.

The invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in the construction of apparatus of this class, particularly with ref erence to the construction and arrangement of the cutters, the construction of the pivoted frame, and the means for imparting motion to the cutters; and to these ends, the invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

0f the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification: Figure l represents a top plan view of a pivoted frame provided with cutters and driving mechanism therefor, in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2, Fig. l, and a side elevation of the parts in Fig. l above said line. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation, showing a portion of the ioating support and my improved apparatus connected therewith. Fig. 4: represents a top view of the construction shown in Fig. 3.

The same letters and gures of reference indicate the same parts in all the iigures.

ln the drawings: A represents a floating support, which may be au ordinary scow or vessel such as is' used to support dredging apparatus.

s s represent parallel tubes or conduits, which are preferably lengths of strong, heavy, metallic pipe, connected at their ends with frames or heads s2 s3, the whole constituting an elongated frame, which is preferably strengthened by rods s4 s4 S5, constituting a truss. The upper ends of the pipes s s are provided with spherical enlargements s6 s6, which are fitted to turn in spherical sockets tt formed on pipes t t affixed to the vessel A, the arrangement being such that the frame, of which the pipes s s constitute parts, can swing in a vertical plane, the pipes s s an t t at the same time constituting conduits through which Water may be pumped from the lower ends of the pipes s s by a pump or pumps connected with the pipes t t and located on the vessel A.

a c represent conical cutters, which are affixed to shafts b b', journaled in bearings on the frame or head s2. Each cutter is coniposed of spiral blades, arranged in approximately conical forrn, the point or apex of each cutter being at its outer end, as shown in Figs. l and a. The shafts Z7 b are in line with each other, andextend horizontally substantially at right angles with the direction `of length of the pipes s s.

The vessel A is provided with a shaft B (Figs. 3 and 4), to which rotary motion may be imparted by an engine or motor on the vessel. Power is transmitted from the shaft B to the cutters ct c through the following mechanism:

71, represents a tubular shaft, journaled in bearings on the frames s2 s3, and provided at one end with a bevel-gearf, meshing With a bevel-gear d on the shaft b', and at its other end with a bevel-gear j meshing with bevelgears k lo', which are affixed to shaftsl Z journaled in bearings on the frame s3.

g represents a shaft, which passes through the tubular shaft h, and is provided near one end With a bevel-gear e, meshing with a bevelgear c on the shaftb, and at its other end with a bevel-gear j', meshing with the bevel-gears 7c lo atapointopposite the engagement of the gearj therewith.

o o are shafts, journaled in bearings on the vessel A, the shaftobeing connected by gears fn. fm with the shaft Z,While the shaft o is connected by gears n m with the shaft l.

q q represent loose pulleys on the shafts o o', the pulley q being connected by a belt q2 with a pulley g3 on the shaft b, While the pulley q is connected by a belt Q4 with a pulley Q5 on said shaft.

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p represents a clutch, composed of a mem-I ber 2 affixed to the pulley q, and a sliding member 3 keyed to the shaft o and adapted to be operated bya leveruto connect the pulley q with and disconnect itfrom the shaft 0.

p represents a similar clutch, operated by a lever u to connect the pulley q with anddisconnect it from the shaft o. The belt q2 is open and the belt g4 is crossed, so that the motion imparted to the pulley q is in the opposite direction from that imparted to the pulley q. The object of this arrangement is to enable the cutters to be rotated in the same direction by either of the shafts o o alone, or by both shafts simultaneously.

In Fig. 4, I show the pulley qconnected by its clutch p with the shaft o, the pulley q being 'disconnected from its shaft. Under this arrangement, motion will be communicated from the pulley q, through the shaft o, gears n m, shaft Z, bevel-gear 7c, bevel-gears j j', shafts g and h, gears e c and fd, and shafts b b to the cutters a, a', both cuttersbeing rotated in the same direction. At the same time, the shaft Z', gears mn and shaft o rotate loosely.

When the pulleyq is disconnected from its shaft o, and the pulley q connected with the shaft o', rotary motion will be imparted from the pulley q to the cutters, through the described intermediate mechanism, in the same direction as before. The object of the duplicate sets of driving mechanism is to provide against loss of time in case of the breakage of any part of one of said sets. It will be seen that the described arrangement of the cutters enables one cutter to operate whether the vessel A is swinging in the direction indicated by the arrow x in Fig. 4 or in the opposite direction, so that, when the vessel, which is pivotally connected with the bottom by means of aspud or vertical post aiiixed to the vessel and inserted in the bottom, is swinging in one direction, one cutter will act to loosen the material through the path in which it moves; and, when the vessel has reached the end of its movement in that direction, the other cutter can operate in a parallel path when the vessel is swingingin the opposite direction, the vessel being moved forward, if desired, between its swinging movements, so that, during the return movement, the acting cutter will reach material not reached by the other cutter during the preceding movement. The matter loosened and detached by the cutters is drawn with the surrounding water through the pipes s s and t t by the pumps connected with the pipes t', and is or may be conducted away from the vessel through a suitable pipe-line provided for that purpose. I prefer to provide each of the pipes s with a sieve or grating, to prevent the entrance of unduly large stones and solid masses into the pipes. In Figs. l and 2, I show these sieves or gratings made as sections r r of pipe, bolted to the lower ends of the pipes s s and provided with parallel longitudinal slots r', of such size as to exclude the undesirably large pieces that may be detached by the action of the cutters.

i represents a face-cutter1 aixed to the lower end of the shaft g, and rotated in a plane at right angles with the plane o f rotation of the cutters a a', the cutter t acting between the cutters a a', as shown in Figs. l and 4. The object of the cutter/is to detach and loosen material which may not be reached by the cutter ct or the cutter a', during the forward motion of the vessel between the lateral swinging movements thereof.

I do not limit myself to the details of con-y struction here shown, and may variously modify Ithe same, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and explained a way of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its employment, I declare that what I claim isl 1. In a dredging machine,the combination with a hull or floating support, of a frame pivotally connected with said support and provided with one or more longitudinal tubes or conduits, cutters rotatively connected with the frame at the swinging end thereof, said cutters projecting laterally in opposite directions, duplex driving-gear connected with said cutters, and clutches whereby either or both parts of said duplex gear may be rendered operative.

2. In a dredging machine, the combination with a hull or floating support, of a frame pivotally connected with said support and provided with one or more longitudinal tubes or conduits, cutters projecting laterally from the swinging end of the frame in opposite directions, a central cutter between said conical cutters, and whose axis is substantially at right angles to that of the latter and means for rotating said cutters, as set forth.

3. In a dredging machine, the combination with a hull or iioating support, of fixed pipes on said support, a frame comprising pipes jointed to said fixed pipes whereby the said frame is adapted to swing vertically, rotary cutters projecting laterally in opposite directions from the swinging end of the frame,

and means for rotating said cutters, as set' forth. Y

4. In a dredging machine, the combination with a hull or iioating support, of fixed pipes on said support, a frame comprising pipes jointed to said fixed pipes to give the frame a vertical swinging motion, rotary cutters projecting laterally in opposite directions from the swinging end of the frame and affixed to independent shafts, a tubular shaft 71, extending lengthwise of the frame and geared to one of the cutter-shafts, a shaft g within and extending through said tubular shaft and geared to the other cutter-shaft, and mechanism substantially as described for rotating said shafts, as set forth.

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5. In a dredging machine, the combination with a hull or floating support, of fixed pipes on said support, a frame comprising pipes jointed to said fixed pipes to give the frame a. vertical swinging motion, rotary cutters projecting laterally in opposite directions from the swinging end of the frame and affixed to independent shafts, a tubular shaft h extending lengthwise of the frame and geared to one of the cutter-shafts, a shaft g within and extending through said tubular shaft and geared to the other cntter-sl1aft,the shafts ZZ having bevel-gears 7c 7c engaged with gears on the shafts h g, the'shafts o o geared to the shaftsZZ,theopposite1y-drven A5 loose pulleys on the shafts o o', and clutches whereby said pulleys may be engaged with and disengaged from the shafts o o', as set forth.

In testimony Whereoi l have signed my 2o name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 2d day of J anuary, A. D. 1893.

GEORGE H. TITCOMB.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON. 

